Daf 216a (דַּף רט״ז ע״א)

Rabbi Abba opened and said (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with a span?” (מִי מָדַד בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ מַיִם וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן) (Isaiah 40:12). This is Tor (זֶה תּוֹר), they are equal, as it were (שָׁוִין כִּבְיָכוֹל): Zayin to Resh (ז׳ לְר׳), Resh to Tav (ר׳ לְת׳), Vav to Hei (ו׳ לְה׳). A span of Kudsha Berikh Hu (זַרְתָּא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), in six hundred and seventy years (בְּשִׁית מְאָה וְשִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין), from here, from heaven (מֵהָכָא מִן שְׁמַיָא), and to the earth (וְעַד אַרְעָא).

How? (כֵיצַד). Zeh: Hei, Vav, Tav; Tor: Tav, Vav, Hei, Zayin (ז״ה תּוֹ״ר, זֶרֶת ו״ה ה״ו תר״ז). The Hei precedes the Vav (אִתְקַדְּמַת ה׳ לְו׳), and the Vav precedes the Tav (וְאִתְקַדְּמַת ו׳ לְת׳), the Tav precedes the Resh (ת׳ לְר׳), and the Resh precedes the Zayin (ר׳ לְז׳). “It shall be square, doubled; a span shall be its length and a span shall be its width, doubled” (רָבוּעַ יִהְיֶה כָּפוּל זֶרֶת אָרְכּוֹ וְזֶרֶת רָחְבּוֹ כָּפוּל) (Exodus 28:16). And he said: “Bring them to me, please, and I will bless them” (וַיֹּאמֶר קָחֶם נָא אֵלַי וַאֲבָרַכֵם) (Bereshit 48:9), because they engage in the words of Orayta (יֹאמַר מִדַּהֲווֹ בְּפִתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא מִתְעַסְּקִין). And this is that which is held among their sages (וְהוּא דָא מְכִילָתָא בֵּין חַכִּימַיְהוּ): “I shall bless them” (אֲבָרַכִינוּן). And the secret - “And he said to him: What is your name? And he said: Ya'akov” (וְרָזָא – וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מַה שְּׁמֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב) - (Bereshit 32). And he said: Why is it that you ask my name? (וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָּה זֶה תִּשְׁאַל לִשְׁמִי), and he said: Ya'akov (וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב). This enumeration (מִנְיָינָא דָא), to the earlier enumeration before him (לְמִנְיָינָא קַדְמִיתָא דְּקַמֵּיהּ), as we explained in its place (כְּדְפָרִישְׁנָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). And another secret - “And Ya'akov asked” and so forth, “and he said: Why is it that you ask for my name?” and he blessed him there (וְרָזָא אָחֳרָא, וַיִּשְׁאַל יַעֲקֹב וְגו' וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָּה זֶה תִּשְׁאַל לִשְׁמִי וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתוֹ שָׁם) - behold, it is not destined [yet], only in the merit of “this” shall he bless them (הָא לָא עָתִיד, אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּתָא דְזֶה, לְבָרְכֵהוֹן).

And another exceedingly great secret, in the place of this verse (וְרָזָא סַגִּיאָה תִּנְיָנָא, בְּאַתְרָה דְּהַאי קְרָא), but we did not approach it now, so as not to teach that verse which we mentioned (אֲבָל לָא אָתֵינָא לְקַמָּן דְּלָא לְאַשְׁמוּעִינָן הַאי קְרָא דְּאָמַרְנָא), before that which I will say to you - that Orayta is called “this” (מִקַּמֵיהּ דְּאֲמִינָא לָךְ דְּאִתְקְרִיאַת אוֹרַיְיתָא זֶה). It is written: “This is Sinai before Hashem, the God of Yisrael” (כְּתִיב, זֶה סִינַי מִפְּנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) - (Judges 5). When the Orayta was given through the hand of Moshe (כַּד אִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא עַל יְדָא דְמֹשֶׁה), “For this is Moshe, the man” (כִּי זֶה מֹשֶׁה הָאִישׁ) (Exodus 32) “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ) (Exodus 15) the Orayta descended from before the God of Yisrael (אוֹרַיְיתָא הֲוָה נָחֲתַת מִן קַמֵּי אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל). “And the eyes of Yisrael were heavy from age” and so forth (וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזֹּקֶן וְגו'), and because of this, you will not find one like him (וּבְגִין דָּא, לָא אַתְּ מַשְׁכַּח דְּכַוָּותֵיהּ), and when they are in exile all the time this destruction endures (וְכַד יְהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא כָּל זִמְנָא חֲרוּבָא הָדִין), consider: they cannot behold the face of the Shekhinta (סִיבוּ. לָא יָכְלִין לְמֶחזֵי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא), until another spirit shall enter into them (עַד דְּתֵיתֵי רוּחָא אָחֳרָא בְּהוֹן).

From the beginning of this, they were defiled among the nations (מִקַּדְּמַת דְּנָא אִסְתָּאִיבוּ בַּאֲרַע עַמְּמַיָא), and they were not within the norms of the Orayta (וְלָא הֲווּ בְּנִימוּסֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא). Just as they were gathered to go there (כְּמָּה דִּיְהוֹן כָּהִיל לְמֵיהַךְ), and passed much time among the nations (וְתָבוּ עִדָּנָא סַגֵּי בֵּינִי נְכְרָאִין), generation after generation (דָּרָא בָּתַר דָּרָא), and they learned from their ways (וְאוֹלִיפוּ מִן אָרְחֵיהוֹן). When they shall return the face of the Shekhinta to their land (כַּד יְתוּבוּן אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא לְאַרְעֲהוֹן), at first they will not be able to see the face of the Shekhinta (בְּקַדְמִיתָא לָא יָכְלִין לְמֶחמֵי אַפִּי שְׁכִינְתָּא), until Kudsha Berikh Hu gives His spirit upon them (עַד דְּיָהִיב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רוּחָא דִילֵיהּ לְהוֹן).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened: “And I will place My spirit within you” (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, וְאֶת רוּחִי אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם) (Ezekiel 36) afterwards: “And I will cause you to walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them” (לְבָתַר וְעָשִׂיתִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר בְּחֻקַּי תֵּלֵכוּ וּמִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם). From the moment that spirits are placed within you, with holiness (מִן בָּתַר דְּיָהַב רוּחִין בְּכוֹן וּקְדוּשָּׁה), in My norms you shall go and be transformed (בְּנִימוּסַי תֵּהֲכוּן וְתִתְהֲכוּן). He cannot see - Rabbi Abba opened and said (לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת, רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “In the light of the King’s face is life, and His favor is like a cloud of the latter rain” (בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים וּרְצוֹנוֹ כְּעָב מַלְקוֹשׁ) (Proverbs 16) when they shall hope for the face of the Shekhinta of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּד יִסְּבְּרוּן אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and engage in those sparks from which the creatures of the world are formed (וְיִתְעַסְּקוּן בְּאִינוּן רְתִיכִין דְּמִנְּהוֹן חֵיוָון דְּעָלְמָא).

Come and see: in all these verses, you will not find any expression [of that kind]. (תָּא חֲזֵי, לָא תִשְׁכַּח בְּהַנֵּי קְרָאֵי כֻּלְּהוֹן לִישְׁנָא), but to a person: “Also my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness all the day” (אֶלָא לְאִינִישׁ, גַּם לְשׁוֹנִי כָּל הַיּוֹם תֶּהגֶה צִדְקָתֶךָ) (Psalms 71). And you will not find in all these verses that it is about Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְלָא אַתְּ מַשְׁכַּח בְּהַנֵּי קְרָאֵי בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and because of this, they shall return to their land (וּבְגִין כַּךְ יְתוּבוּן לְאַרְעֲהוֹן), and Kudsha Berikh Hu will place a spirit of wisdom within them (וְיָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רוּחַ חָכְמְתָא בְּהוֹן), their tongues shall continually be for Kudsha Berikh Hu (לִישְׁנָא דִּלְהוֹן תֶּהֶוְיָין תָּדִיר בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

“And Ya'akov lived,” and so forth (וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב וְגו'). Rabbi Ḥiyya opened and said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “And your people, all of them are Tzaddikim, forever shall they inherit the land,” and so forth (וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וְגו') (Isaiah 60). Fortunate are Yisrael (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), more than all the nations that serve idolatry and the constellations (יַתִּיר מִכָּל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת), for Kudsha Berikh Hu called them Tzaddikim (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרָא לוֹן צַדִּיקִים). To assign to them an eternal inheritance in the World to Come (לְאַחְסִין לוֹן יְרוּתַת עַלְמִין בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי), to delight in that world (לְאִתְעֲנָגָא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא), as it is written: “Then you shall delight in Hashem” (כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, אָז תִּתְעַנֵּג עַל ה׳) - (Isaiah 58). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because they cleave to the body of the King (בְּגִין דְּמִתְדַּבְּקִין בְּגוּפָא דְמַלְכָּא), as it is written: “And you who cleave to Hashem your Elohim are alive, all of you, this day” (דִּכְתִיב, וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם) (Deuteronomy 4).

Rabbi Yitzḥak opened and said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And your people, all of them are Tzaddikim, forever shall they inherit the land” (וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ) - this verse is a supreme secret (הַאי קְרָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה), among those who harvest the field (אִיהוּ בֵּין מְחַצְדֵי חַקְלָא). For in the secret of Aggadta it is taught by Rabbi Shimon (דְּהָא בְּרָזָא דְּאַגַּדְתָּא תָּנֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): that the inheritance of the supreme possession, that Land (דְּאַחְסָנַת יְרוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּהַהִיא אֶרֶץ), there is no one who inherits it except the one called Tzaddik (לֵית מַאן דְּיָרִית לָהּ, בַּר הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק). Some say: that Land - there is no one who inherits it except the one called Tzaddik, for the Tzaddik inherits the Matronita, indeed (נ״א: דְּהַאי אֶרֶץ, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיָרִית לָהּ, בַּר הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, דְּהָא צַדִּיק יָרִית לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא וַדַּאי). For the Matronita is connected to him to be perfumed (דְּהָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא בֵּיהּ אִתְדַּבְּקַת לְאִתְבַּסְּמָא), and the Tzaddik surely inherits the Matronita (וְצַדִּיק יָרִית לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא וַדַּאי).

So too here (אוּף הָכָא), in the love of Kudsha Berikh Hu for Yisrael (בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), He said: “And your people, all of them are Tzaddikim” (אָמַר, וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים) (Isaiah 60) and because of this, “they shall forever inherit the land” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אֶרֶץ), they are fitting to inherit the Matronita (אִתְחֲזוּן לְיָרִית לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא). What is the reason they are called Tzaddikim? (מַאי טַעְמָא אִקְרוּן צַדִּיקִים), and what is the reason they inherit the Matronita? (וּמַאי טַעְמָא יָרְתִין לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא). Because they are circumcised (בְּגִין דְּאִתְגַּזָּרוּ). As we have learned: whoever is circumcised and enters into this (כְּמָה דְתָנִינָן, כָּל מַאן דְּאִתְגְּזַר, וְעֲיִּיל בְּהַאי), Some say: into the holy covenant and enters this inheritance (נ״א: בְּרִית קַדִּישָׁא וְעָיִּיל בְּהַאי אַחְסָנָא), and guards this covenant (וְנָטִיר לְהַאי בְּרִית), he enters and cleaves to the body of the King (עָאל וְאִתְדָּבַּק בְּגוּפָא דְמַלְכָּא), and enters this Tzaddik (וְעָאל בְּהַאי צַדִּיק). And because of this they are called Tzaddikim (וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ אִקְרוּן צַדִּיקִים), and therefore, “they shall forever inherit the land” (וְעַל דָּא לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ). What is “land”? - this is the Land of Life (מַאי אָרֶץ, דָּא אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים).

He returned and said (אַהֲדַר וְאָמַר): “A shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to glory” (נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר) (Isaiah 60). “A shoot of My planting” - a branch from those branches (נִצֶר מַטָּעַי, עֲנָפָא מֵאִינוּן עֲנָפִין), which Kudsha Berikh Hu planted when He created the world (דְּנָטַע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד בָּרָא עַלְמָא). As it is written: “And Hashem Elohim planted a garden in Eden from the beginning” (דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּטַּע ה׳ אֱלֹהִים גַּן בְּעֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם) (Bereshit 2), and this land is one of them (וְהַאי אֶרֶץ חַד מִנַּיְהוּ). Because of this: “A shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to glory” (בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ, נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר).